The Sou
T
h
The Sou
T
h
Slee
P
iN
G
The Sou
T
h
Yala National Park
Kirinda Temple BUDDhiST
Kirinda centres on this Buddhist shrine piled
atop huge round rocks. It is dedicated to
Queen Viharamahadevi, who lived in the 2nd
century BC and is at the heart of an old fa-
vourite story. When raging waters threatened
Ceylon, King Kelanitissa ordered his young-
est daughter, then a princess, into a boat as
a sacrifice. The waters were calmed and the
princess miraculously survived. Some 2000
years later, the temple was a place of refuge
during the 2004 tsunami.4 Sleeping
Guesthouses and hotels are scattered all
around the Kirinda area. Some are at Yala
Junction, 1.6km north of town where the
road to the national park branches off from
the Tissa–Kirinda Rd. Others are strung
along the wave-tossed beaches to the west.Temple Flower Guesthouse GU eSThOUSe $
(%077 881 4679, 492 2499; http://www.templeflower19
yala.com; r Rs 2500-3000; W) A delicious
guesthouse in town with a wonderful green
colonial-style verandah shared between five
tidy rooms, some with sea views. The cafe is
good and the welcome is warm.oSuduweli Beauties
of Nature GU eSThOUSe $$
(%072 263 1059; http://www.beauties-of-nature.net; Yala
Jct; r US$22-52; i) Accommodation at this ru-
ral idyll consists of basic but clean rooms in
the main house and a handful of comfortable,
vaguely alpine-style cottages in the gardens.
There’s a small lake on the grounds; wildlife
abounds. The owners are a Swiss–Sri Lankan
couple who met through his work as a driver
when he was recommended in an earlier edi-
tion of this guidebook.oKirinda Beach Resort hOTel $$$
(%077 020 0897; http://www.yalawildlifebeachresortsri
lanka.com; r from $100; Ws) Located 1km
west of town, this quirky compound is on a
dramatic stretch of beach. Gaze upon the
pounding surf from the uniquely elevated
swimming pool and enjoy a meal in the large,
airy cafe before retiring to a comfortable
room in either a wood chalet or earthy mud
hut. It’s a good area for riding the free bikes.Elephant Reach R eSORT $$$
(%077 106 5092; http://www.elephantreach.com; Yala
Jct; r US$100-120; aWs) The stylish com-
munal areas at this small resort have a free-
form style that fits the rustic setting. Rooms
include huge showers, stone floors, hempcurtains and TVs. Outside, the large pool
curls like a water snake around the gardens.
Avoid rooms in the down-market rear.8 Getting There & Away
There is a bus from Tissa to Kirinda every half-
hour or so (Rs 30); a three-wheeler is Rs 600.ala National ParkY
With monkeys crashing through the trees,
peacocks in their finest frocks, elephants
ambling about and cunning leopards sliding
like shadows through the undergrowth, Yala
National Park (also known as Ruhunu) is the
Jungle Book brought to glorious life. This vast
region of dry woodland and open patches of
grasslands is the big draw of this corner of Sri
Lanka. A safari here is well worth all the time,
effort, crowds and cost.1 Sights
Yala combines a strict nature reserve with a
national park, bringing the total protected
area to 1268 sq km of scrub, light forest, grassy
plains and brackish lagoons. It’s divided into
five blocks, with the most visited being Block
I (141 sq km). Also known as Yala West, this
block was originally a reserve for hunters, but
was given over to conservation in 1938. It’s the
closest to Tissa.
With around 25 leopards thought to be
present in Block I alone, Yala is considered
one of the world’s best parks for spotting these
big cats. Panthera pardus kotiya, the subspe-
cies you may well see, is unique to Sri Lanka.
The best time to spot leopards is February to
June or July, when the water levels in the park
are low.
The park’s estimated 300 elephants can
be more elusive, although some regularly ap-
pear in the most visited areas. Other animals
of note include the shaggy-coated sloth bear
and fox-like jackals. Sambars, spotted deer,
boars, crocodiles, buffaloes, mongooses and
monkeys are also here, along with startlingly
large crocodiles.
Over 200 species of birds have been re-
corded at Yala, many of which are visitors
escaping the northern winter, such as white-
winged black terns, curlews and pintails. Lo-
cals include jungle fowl, hornbills, orioles and
peacocks by the bucketload.
Despite the large quantity of wildlife, the
light forest can make spotting animals quite
hard; however, small grassy clearings and lots
of waterholes offer good opportunities. The